Traveling Soldier
by hatori's-flower
Summary: A song fic on the song taveling soldier by dixie chicks Kaoru kenshin pairings, character deaths included.


Disclaimer: I don't own Ruroni Kenshin or the song **Traveling Soldier** by the Dixie Chicks.

Kenshin sat on a bench outside a cafe, reached into his breast pocket of his army greens to count his money. Standing up he went in and sat at a booth in the corner.

**two days past eighteen**

**he was waiting for the bus in his army greens**

**sat down at a booth at a cafe there**

**gave his order to the girl with the bow in her hair**

"Hi," the waittress smiled happily at the boy who looked kind of down,"I'm Kaoru and I'll be your waittress."

"I'll just have coffee."

"Comin up," she replied

" Hey I'm Kenshin, I'm about to leave for army camp but I have a while, would you mind sittin down and talkng to me I'm feeling a little low?"

" I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go."

**He's a little shy so she gave him a smile **

**he said would you mind sitting down for a while and talking to me,**

**I'm feeling a little low.**

**She said I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go.**

"Kenshin, I'm off sorry it's been longer then an hour but Tae, Tsubame and Misao kept me."

"It's okay, shall we go?"

She led him to the pier and they sat just looking out over the Atlantic.

Turning to look at her he said, "I bet you have a boyfriend but I don't care, I've got no one to send a letter to, would you mind if I sent one back here to you?"

" Not at all, I would enjoy it," she said smiling back at him.

After glancing at his watch he jumped and said," I have to get going, I'll write." he walked back down the pier and got on the bus that had just pulled up.

Kaoru couldn't help but fell like it was the love at first sight.

**so they went down and they sat on the pier **

**he said I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care**

**I've got no one to send a letter too**

**would you mind if i sent one back here to you**

As he walked off it felt so final, brushing it off Kaoru rose and she headed home. As his letters came her friends kept telling her she was too young for him. She objected saying that he was only three years her senior and her previous boyfriend had been four years older then her. His letters were what kept her going after she met him, as an orphan she enjoyed someone finally noticing her as more then just a helpless child.

My sweet Kaoru,

When I first saw you I thought you were an angel, I think that I might be in love with you.

Sanosuke and Aoshi tease me about you well rather Sano teases Aoshi stands there as stoic as ever.

It gets kind of rough over here at times, but I just close my eyes and think of that day down at the pier in order to see your pretty smile.

Don't worry but I won't be able to write for a while.

love Kenshin

As the months passed she gre worried when no letters came. She missed the days that he was in training camp and was free to write everyday.

**So the letters came  
From an army camp  
In California then Vietnam  
And he told his heart  
It might be love  
And all of the things he was so scared of  
Said when it's gettin kinda tough over here  
I think about that day sittin' down at the pier  
And close my eyes and see your pretty smile  
Now don't worry but I won't be able to write for a while**

A fourth month passed with still no word.

**I cried **

**never gonna hold the hands of another guy **

**too young for him they told her**

**waiting on the love of a traveling soldier **

**our love will never end**

**waiting for the soldier to come back again**

**never more to be alone**

**when the letter says a soldier is coming home**

It had been four months with no word and Kaoru was anxious, he hadn't written and tonight was her big football game that she was going to play in the half time concert. Preparing her instrument she waved to her three friends in the stands.

After the lord's prayer had been said and they had sang along to the american anthem the announcer came over the intercom. "Folks will you please bow your heads for a list of local vietnam dead.

**One Friday night at a football game  
The Lord's Prayer said and the anthem sang  
A man said folks would you bow your heads  
For the list of local Vietnam dead**

As he called out the names Kaoru was praying as hard as she ever had that his name wasn't there. The man reached the H's.

Henson Rioku

Hiko Seijuro

Wails were heard from the stands she was still praying

Himura, Kassali

Himura, Kenji

His older brothers! Her face came up and looked towards the announcement booth.

Himura, Kenshin

"NNNOOOOO!" an unearthly wail left her lips as she ran crying from her position in the band dropping her instrument. Upon hearing her Misao took off closely followed by Tae and Tsubame.

**Cryin' all alone under the stands  
Was the piccolo player in the marching band  
And one name read and no one really cared  
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair**

When her friends reached her they knew,"It was him you loved him!" misao just reached out to hug Kaoru as Tae realized that her love for this man was real and not a crush as they believed. Her love for him was never ending but she knew Kenshin would want her happy, she loved him but took a vow to move on, this vow was hard to keep was hard, especially every year on the anniveresary of the day he first told her that he loved her. But she did her best. A week later she stood with Sagara Sanosuke, Aoshi Shinomori and Yahiko Myojin. Looking at Sanosuke she knew that Kenshin would want her to be happy.

**I cried **

**never gonna hold the hands of another guy **

**too young for him they told her**

**waiting on the love of a traveling soldier **

**our love will never end**

**waiting for the soldier to come back again**

**never more to be alone**

**when the letter says a soldier is coming home**

Three years later standing over his grave she placed a pile of Jasmine on it before turning away, with tears in her eyes she bid him farwell, as she walked to her husband she heard his voice on the wind and his best friend Sanosuke heard it too,

"Take care Kaoru Sagara."

**  
**


End file.
